Fiction

Wayward

Wayward

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  • Create Date：2021-08-18 06:51:11
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dana Spiotta
  • ISBN：0593318730
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Summary

"An urgent， deeply moving， wholly original novel by one of the most wildly talented writers in America。 --George Saunders

A "furious and addictive new novel" （The New York Times） about mothers and daughters， and one woman's midlife reckoning as she flees her suburban life， from the renowned author of Stone Arabia and Eat the Document

On the heels of the election of 2016， Samantha Raymond's life begins to come apart: her mother is ill， her teenage daughter is increasingly remote， and at fifty-two she finds herself staring into the Mids--that hour of supreme wakefulness between three and four in the morning in which women of a certain age suddenly find themselves contemplating motherhood， mortality， and， in this case， the state of our unraveling nation。

When she falls in love with a beautiful， decrepit house in a hardscrabble neighborhood in Syracuse， she buys it on a whim and flees her suburban life--and her family--as she grapples with how to be a wife， a mother， and a daughter， in a country that is coming apart at the seams。

Dana Spiotta's Wayward is a stunning novel about aging， about the female body， and about female difficulty--female complexity--in the age of Trump。 Probing and provocative， brainy and sensual， it is a testament to our weird， off-kilter America， to reforms and resistance and utopian wishes， and to the beauty of ruins。 Tremendous new work from one of the most gifted writers of her generation。

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Reviews

Kathryn Bashaar ，

Samantha Raymond's life feels like it's unraveling。 The 2016 election has thrown her for a loop， she is in the throes of menopause， her mother is dying， her 16-year-old daughter is demanding independence and privacy （as 16-year-olds will do）， and her marriage has gone stale。 Her impulsive purchase of a decrepit old house in a dodgy neighborhood is the catalyst for changes in her life。There were things that I really liked about this book。 First， Spiotta absolutely nails what menopause feels like。 Samantha Raymond's life feels like it's unraveling。 The 2016 election has thrown her for a loop， she is in the throes of menopause， her mother is dying， her 16-year-old daughter is demanding independence and privacy （as 16-year-olds will do）， and her marriage has gone stale。 Her impulsive purchase of a decrepit old house in a dodgy neighborhood is the catalyst for changes in her life。There were things that I really liked about this book。 First， Spiotta absolutely nails what menopause feels like。 Not just hot flashes， but confusion， horror at the way one's body starts to look， sleeplessness， manic activity alternating with sudden exhaustion， and occasional inexplicable rage。 She also nails what it's like to be the loving mother of a teenage daughter。 Ally feels that her mother is overbearing， and Sam does do a bit of over-the-top snooping。 But， overall， Sam is like the rest of us who have or had teenage daughters。 She recognizes with a quiet pride， a twinge of envy， and a spike of terror that her child is now beautiful - and， because she is young and naive， also very vulnerable in ways that the daughter herself doesn't imagine。 I also liked the description of Sam's behavior and reactions on election night of 2016 and the day after。 They rung very true to me， because they were almost exactly the reactions and behaviors of myself and most of my friends。 The silliness of extreme political correctness and cancelling is also very well-portrayed。 The subplot about Ally's love affair with an older man is also well done。 And I absolutely loved Sam's mom， Lily， and the relationship that the three women had。 But I had one big problem with this book。 Sam's reasons for dissatisfaction with her husband， Matt， were completely mysterious to me。 Their sex life is so great that they continue it even after she moves out。 Sam herself has a precious， twee part-time job giving tours of an historic house。 Matt has a good job and has financially supported her during their whole marriage， including after she moved out。 He seems like a good dad， and he even gets along with Sam's mother。 So what's so wrong with this guy？ I thought less of Sam for this。 She reminded me a lot of the protagonist of The Mermaid Chair， whom I thoroughly disliked。 Oh boo hoo， I'm feeling restless， so it must be somehow the fault of this really nice guy I've been living off of for thirty years while I play around with my art or my little part-time job。 Overall， though， this was a very readable and relatable story with a strong theme of women wanting to claim their own destiny in different ways。 Like my reviews？ Check out my blog at http://www。kathrynbashaar。com/blog/Author of The Saints Mistress https://camcatbooks。com/Books/T/The-S。。。 。。。more

Rachel Rooney ，

First lines: One way to understand what had happened to her （what she had made happen， what she had insisted upon）: it began with the house。 It was the particular house， but it also was where the house was and where she discovered she wanted to be。 It was a run-down， abandoned Arts and Crafts cottage in a neglected， once-vibrant neighborhood in the city of Syracuse。This is a challenging novel because of its subject matter。 A lot of people are going to find Sam very unlikeable。 In the beginning o First lines: One way to understand what had happened to her （what she had made happen， what she had insisted upon）: it began with the house。 It was the particular house， but it also was where the house was and where she discovered she wanted to be。 It was a run-down， abandoned Arts and Crafts cottage in a neglected， once-vibrant neighborhood in the city of Syracuse。This is a challenging novel because of its subject matter。 A lot of people are going to find Sam very unlikeable。 In the beginning of the novel， she just up and buys a house and announces her intention to live there without her husband and teenage daughter。 It is the beginning of the Trump era， and Sam is unhappy。 She blames herself in a way for what happens and needs to blow up her life and regroup。 She attends meetings of other unhappy people， but it’s not enough。 It is kind of funny to me that many other reviewers complain about how privileged she is。 Yes， that’s the point。 She is grappling with her privilege; she is disgusted by it。 She wants things to be different than they are but doesn’t know how to effect real change。 Anyway， there is not a ton of plot。 The novel is very much grounded in its time and place。 But I think there is something generalizable about it。 It’s a different kind of midlife crisis， one very much grounded in anger and existential angst。 I loved it， except the ending felt a little flat。 OMG， and I really want to hunt down Joe and punch him in the throat…or the nuts。 Now that I think about it， can we see Joe as providing a contrast for Sam？ A different kind of midlife crisis。 Then again， it might not be new behavior for him。 。。。more

Lori Eshleman ，

After making an offer on a deteriorating architectural gem of a house in a run-down neighborhood of Syracuse， Sam Raymond realizes that she is leaving her husband， their comfortable suburban life – and almost incidentally， her 16-year-old daughter， Ally。 Gradually the backstory emerges， of a husband and daughter to whom Sam feels invisible， or at least beside the point。 Of a woman who loves history and works several days a week at the 19th century Clara Loomis House – a job she enjoys， but is su After making an offer on a deteriorating architectural gem of a house in a run-down neighborhood of Syracuse， Sam Raymond realizes that she is leaving her husband， their comfortable suburban life – and almost incidentally， her 16-year-old daughter， Ally。 Gradually the backstory emerges， of a husband and daughter to whom Sam feels invisible， or at least beside the point。 Of a woman who loves history and works several days a week at the 19th century Clara Loomis House – a job she enjoys， but is surely not enough to live on。 Of a perimenopausal woman subject to flashes of heat and emotion， who is seeking her place in the world， an identify of her own。 But there is something driven about the way Sam embraces a narrow （but expensive！） mattress in a barely-heated old house， begins to train her body to run and lift weights， and surfs the rabbit-hole of social media and Syracuse society for feminist， edgy groups of women with whom she might identify。 Everywhere she turns， she encounters hypocrisy and faux-engagement – and the well-coiffed， aging women with whom she feels little in common， whose bodies she harshly describes。 Wanting to overcome her perceived weakness， to feel powerful， Sam instead runs up against a wall – of her daughter’s distance， her mother’s unwillingness to share her cancer diagnosis， of her own awkward attempts to reveal her needs and perceptions to the larger world。 After witnessing the shooting of a black teenager， she is suddenly at the center of something real。 But， apologetic and uncomfortable with her own privilege， she feels insufficient for this role， too。In tandem with Sam’s quest， we hear Ally’s story and watch her come of age in a seedy relationship with an older man who is her mentor。 More centered than her mother， Ally also seeks to push across her boundaries， but seems little unsettled by the experience。 Sam’s mother Lily comes across as another strong woman， yet keeps her daughter at arm’s length。 Finally， there is the story of Clara Loomis， a 19th century advocate of free love who runs off to the utopian Oneida Community as a teenager – another transgressor whose story in some sense parallels Ally’s and Sam’s。 Some of the most enjoyable aspects of this novel are the settings in Syracuse， the careful descriptions of architecture， and the forays into history focused on the fictional Clara Loomis House。 I found the novel at times funny， at times riveting， at times unsympathetic。 Sam seems stuck in the rut of her own anger and self-doubt。 The end of the story unexpectedly pulls the three women into a mystical generational union， beyond aging and death – yet there are few hints of such comfort earlier。 。。。more

Stuart Pennebaker ，

3。9

Lemar ，

Dana Spiotta is able to distill the ambient anxieties and challenges of being alive in 2021。 The novel， the best I have read this year， revolves around Sam， a married middle aged woman， mother of a teenage girl， living in Syracuse NY。 As a great writer can， Spiotta relates a story of our specific time and place but gets so deep in her depiction of this one life on Earth， that Sam’s life resounds with meaning across time， gender and age。 Never an easy person， Sam is jolted into examining her lif Dana Spiotta is able to distill the ambient anxieties and challenges of being alive in 2021。 The novel， the best I have read this year， revolves around Sam， a married middle aged woman， mother of a teenage girl， living in Syracuse NY。 As a great writer can， Spiotta relates a story of our specific time and place but gets so deep in her depiction of this one life on Earth， that Sam’s life resounds with meaning across time， gender and age。 Never an easy person， Sam is jolted into examining her life by the election of a President who is her polar opposite， a man who who embodied “the most American of myopias， this unapologetic - boastful， even - attention to the surface self。” She realizes that， “Always she liked to imagine herself as subtly different from everyone else， enjoying the tension and mystique of being ordinary on the surface but with a radical， original interior life。” The novel takes us through Sam’s process of making this secret inner life visible。 It’s no longer enough for her to object to obnoxious Facebook posts， “Laughing at them was a shabby use of her time， but she knew part of what made Facebook - and the internet， really - addicting was simultaneously indulging your own obsessions while mocking （deriding， denouncing even） the obsessions of others from the safety of your screen。 It was hard to resist， and indulging in this impulse - even silently to yourself - made everything worse， made you worse， she was sure of it。” Sam， described objectively as mother， wife， middle aged woman， examines and challenges herself to reimagine and then change how she inhabits each of these roles。 This is exhilarating to read， and leaves one inspired to find that level of courage。 She is a modern hero。 The anxiety of being a parent is beautifully rendered。 My mom told me when I became a parent that I would from here on always be “a hostage to fate。” Sam understands that。 “What you don’t get from having a mother versus being a mother is how consuming it was， how profoundly one-sided。 The child’s job was need her mother less and less， a progression toward independence。 But the mother’s job was to always help， always be there when needed， and never， ever stop worrying。” This is one of the many instances in which Spiotta writes very definitely of her life as a woman， but it echoes and deepens my own experience as a father。 An example of how she approaches her life with a new courage is how she deals with waking in the dead of night with a pit of nagging anxiety and regret in the stomach。 She considers the advice of a new friend， “You wake for a reason。 It is time for a special kind of thinking， middle-of-the night thinking。 Don’t fight it。 Wake for your night office， your nocturna。 Get out of bed， fall to your knees， attend the moment。” Sam increases her visibility， no longer willing to be seen peripherally。 Sam’s husband， she realizes listens to her as if she were a， “talkative child or a needy dog; doling out just enough attention to be acceptable but not enough to encourage her to keep going。” She is a complex and fascinating person， someone who values art， the gravity of living in a a hand crafted home with history， who finds inspiration in the past lives of activist heroes。 Attention must be paid to Sam。 She is a force of nature。 One of the figures Sam admires and challenges is Clara Loomis from whose writings Spiotta includes， “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind， that ye may prove what is that good， and acceptable， and perfect， will of God。” （I wish Spiotta had included Matilda Electa Gage （1826-1898） an early central NY suffragette， Native American rights activist， abolitionist and freethinker who described herself as “born with a hatred of oppression。” The ‘Matilda Effect’， which describes the tendency to not give women in science their due credit is named after her。） The specter of death and destruction haunt the novel as it haunts our lives。 Spiotta’s Sam looks unsparingly at humanity’s past and future， giving her words the power of authenticity。 “the stories told， the meals prepared， the gravestones attended， all the little and big rituals。 Poignant， tragic even， but not ridiculous。 Beautiful in their totality。 Weren’t they？ Maybe we were going extinct， but did that make it all a failure， all meaningless？ No it it did not。” 。。。more

Althea ，

Except for the last chapter （which wrapped everything up） all the characters and the story were totally annoying。

Pcox ，

Different style of writing drew me in although the characters did not connect with me

Shoshanna ，

Really good。 Written in 2021 and set in 2017， among the rage against Trump and newfound wokeness。 A middle aged woman who works at a historical home connected to a fictional historical Perfectionist / suffragist / abolitionist / birth control advocate struggles to find her place in her new reality。 Nothing mystical or magical。 Very thoughtful and clever and self reflective。

Nichelle Yu ，

Tough read and unlikeable charactersProse was intellectual but the novel was too political for me and had characters I could not like I really tried to power thru just to finish it

Janice ，

I didn't finish it。 Not my kind of book。 I didn't finish it。 Not my kind of book。 。。。more

Kathleen Donlan ，

3。5

Joe Ettle ，

I didn't really care for any of the characters。 I wanted it to be an empowerment story about her taking charge of her life， but the main character just seemed whiny and indecisive。 I didn't really care for any of the characters。 I wanted it to be an empowerment story about her taking charge of her life， but the main character just seemed whiny and indecisive。 。。。more

Desiree ，

I couldn't figure out what theme the author was trying to convey - marriage？ middle age？ menopause？ children/parent relationships？ social justice？ I might go up to 2。5 stars， but that was only because some of the middle age information was so accurate。 I couldn't figure out what theme the author was trying to convey - marriage？ middle age？ menopause？ children/parent relationships？ social justice？ I might go up to 2。5 stars， but that was only because some of the middle age information was so accurate。 。。。more

Erin M ，

I love everything Dana Spiotta writes and this did not disappoint。 First of all， it takes place in my hometown of Syracuse and nothing ever takes place there， so points for that。 It's a great weaving of family， getting older， life changes， politics and social justice， and centers on this house that she describes so richly。 I also love how she references the weather and changing seasons as a part of the story。 I love everything Dana Spiotta writes and this did not disappoint。 First of all， it takes place in my hometown of Syracuse and nothing ever takes place there， so points for that。 It's a great weaving of family， getting older， life changes， politics and social justice， and centers on this house that she describes so richly。 I also love how she references the weather and changing seasons as a part of the story。 。。。more

Barbara Clarke ，

I have two regrets about Wayward by Dana Spiotta - that there isn't an anti-star system and that there are more than a few hours I'll never get back reading this book。 I checked midway through the slog and saw there were others like me who had already finished the book and more than a few DNFs - lucky them （those hours）。 As a mature woman， older than Sam but young enough to remember， am I supposed to be grateful for any novel that has midlife as a theme？ Admittedly this book does cover every inc I have two regrets about Wayward by Dana Spiotta - that there isn't an anti-star system and that there are more than a few hours I'll never get back reading this book。 I checked midway through the slog and saw there were others like me who had already finished the book and more than a few DNFs - lucky them （those hours）。 As a mature woman， older than Sam but young enough to remember， am I supposed to be grateful for any novel that has midlife as a theme？ Admittedly this book does cover every inch （repeat， rinse， repeat） of the issues for women。 Kudos for taking on the subject。 But the checklist - the literary version of TDS， BLM， the cops who lie， the unjust justice system， the gym and Nico， the tragic poor folks， etc。 - is that what's required now in order to get George Saunders to moan in mental pleasure？ The character （that's generous） of MH， Joe in his own midlife crisis， Matt who is the wonderful enabler， mom， and others - flat as the pancakes they serve at Dennys where I imagine Sam would want to go and be with "the people。" I fear that this kind of upperclass condescending literature is our fate。 And why I finished it， I don't know except that after about page 100 it was like a throwdown - what more could the author squeeze into a plotless novel that was so "about our time。" 。。。more

Kathy McC ，

Meh！I thought this book would resonate with me and I looked forward to reading it。 Alas， it fell way short。 There were so many relevant social issues mentioned in this book， but their development was superficial。 The main character was entitled and selfish and I just could not empathize or relate to her conflicts。

Monika ，

Up to the very last chapter this was a very painful read。 I stuck with it， because I hoped that the author did not subject us to being trapped in the head of a well to do yet very miserable lady dealing with miserable times in the most miserable way possible for nothing。 And there was finally a point to all of it at the very end。 Nothing clever or revolutionary， but ultimately touching and relatable。

Rosemary Kennedy ，

A little too close to reality as far as Trumpion people and 50 year old mother of strong-willed daughter， but a good reflection on middle age looks like and how we re-calibrate our place in our family， community and world。 Also just an ode to motherhood。 I really liked the last quarter of the book。

Susan Dunker ，

Surprisingly affecting story of a woman my age who is figuring out how to live her life。

Sharon L ，

I'm fascinated by all the 2 star reviews stating how selfish the main charcter Sam is; surely such an emotional response to a fictional character shows a well crafted novel and deserves at least 3 stars？ I thought these reviews were supposed to be about the quality of the novel and not if we liked a character or not。This book is a coming-of-age story that happens to a woman in her 50's。 It's a coming-of-rage story。I loved how the novel is crafted to follow the tempo of a hot-flash。 We start off I'm fascinated by all the 2 star reviews stating how selfish the main charcter Sam is; surely such an emotional response to a fictional character shows a well crafted novel and deserves at least 3 stars？ I thought these reviews were supposed to be about the quality of the novel and not if we liked a character or not。This book is a coming-of-age story that happens to a woman in her 50's。 It's a coming-of-rage story。I loved how the novel is crafted to follow the tempo of a hot-flash。 We start off will Sam feeling invisible， unnecessary， and frustrated with her life and needing escape （face fanning， removing of a layer， need to escape the area） and taking flight to a room/house of one's own。 After the "moment" has passed， we see Sam gain clarity of her situation and start to calm down。I also loved how， with Sam's mother and daughter， we saw the three stages of womenhood often represented in spirituality as maiden， mother， and crone。I am glad that fiction （and non-fiction） is starting to show women navigating "the change" and putting a public face on the nearly silent transition nearly half the population faces。Thanks to NetGalley for and ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Rick ，

Goodreads won't let me select the Audible version。 What an annoying novel。 Parts of it were wonderful， parts just plain annoying。 And the ending？ Did Ms。 Spiotta have a word limit she was nearing， so she just said， "Gotta go， bye-bye？" I might have DNFed it， had not George Saunders called it"urgent， deeply moving and original。" I didn't find it any of the three。 Goodreads won't let me select the Audible version。 What an annoying novel。 Parts of it were wonderful， parts just plain annoying。 And the ending？ Did Ms。 Spiotta have a word limit she was nearing， so she just said， "Gotta go， bye-bye？" I might have DNFed it， had not George Saunders called it"urgent， deeply moving and original。" I didn't find it any of the three。 。。。more

Melanie ，

Yes， Sam is a mess。 She sees a beat-up old house in downtown Syracuse， she bids on it， and she gets it。 Only then does she tell her husband and daughter that she is leaving them， and their house in the suburbs。 Still--she's a compelling mess。 This novel takes place just after the 2016 election， when many people felt they lost their footing in a world they don't recognize。 Sam's struggles--to keep a connection with her daughter， to face her mother's illness， to find a way to meaningfully and conc Yes， Sam is a mess。 She sees a beat-up old house in downtown Syracuse， she bids on it， and she gets it。 Only then does she tell her husband and daughter that she is leaving them， and their house in the suburbs。 Still--she's a compelling mess。 This novel takes place just after the 2016 election， when many people felt they lost their footing in a world they don't recognize。 Sam's struggles--to keep a connection with her daughter， to face her mother's illness， to find a way to meaningfully and concsciously ilive her life as a white woman of a certain age made for good reading。 She annoyed me frequently， but Spiotta does a smooth job of weaving in absurdity with history， "wokeness"， and BLM with a character who honestly can't unsee。 Quick read--read it in a day。 Will look for other work by this writer。 。。。more

Julie ，

Quick read about complexities of being a woman。 Set in Syracuse。

Kristina Rowley ，

I picked this up after it was positively reviewed on NPR， mostly intrigued that it was set in Syracuse。 It was a delightful surprise that Sam’s new city neighborhood was previously my own; I once lived a block away from the house on Highland。 The familiarity of the city’s architecture， history， grocery stores， parks， and frustrating highways， etc。 were nostalgic and amusing。 Other than the familiar setting I was underwhelmed。 The characters are generally unlikeable and/or underdeveloped， and con I picked this up after it was positively reviewed on NPR， mostly intrigued that it was set in Syracuse。 It was a delightful surprise that Sam’s new city neighborhood was previously my own; I once lived a block away from the house on Highland。 The familiarity of the city’s architecture， history， grocery stores， parks， and frustrating highways， etc。 were nostalgic and amusing。 Other than the familiar setting I was underwhelmed。 The characters are generally unlikeable and/or underdeveloped， and conclusion left me wanting more。 。。。more

Tracy Hollen ，

3。5 stars

Dawnrae Oliveira ，

I picked this book up on a whim and was repeatedly surprised by how relatable I found many （but not all） the thoughts and experiences of the main character。 Its set in the aftermath of the 2016 U。S。 presidential election， and examines the life of a middle aged， progressive， married， white woman who is navigating her changing body， purpose in life， and poignant current events。 The ending felt satisfying and authentic。

Rena ，

Just all over the place， but some genuine reflections on aging for women。

Stephanie ，

Slow to start， this novel tells the tale of a woman’s redirection in her early fifties and her orbit of relationships: her clueless but kind soon-to-be-ex-husband， her performance-driven daughter， her loving mother， her new cadre of angry feminist friends。 Told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Sam， the woman in question， and Ally， her teenage daughter， Wayward explores themes of domesticity， race， and privilege， among others。

wynter ，

Roughly 200 pages into Dana Spiotta's almost 300-page novel， I reached the unfortunate realization that Samantha Raymond's life was boring me to tears。 I wish I could say that upon reaching that realization I honored my promise to myself to quit books that aren't working—but I didn't。 I finished it， and it never improved。 I'm not sure exactly why。 Thematically， the novel is a great fit。 I gravitate toward novels about women who abandon their lives unexpectedly in search of self-fulfillment。 I ad Roughly 200 pages into Dana Spiotta's almost 300-page novel， I reached the unfortunate realization that Samantha Raymond's life was boring me to tears。 I wish I could say that upon reaching that realization I honored my promise to myself to quit books that aren't working—but I didn't。 I finished it， and it never improved。 I'm not sure exactly why。 Thematically， the novel is a great fit。 I gravitate toward novels about women who abandon their lives unexpectedly in search of self-fulfillment。 I admire women who forcibly carve out space for themselves in the world， particularly if that space is physical rather than metaphorical。 And Sam does these things！ She falls in love with a home that does not belong to her and purchases it without consulting her husband。 She leaves her husband to live alone， to spend time with herself， to be alone in a visceral， sometimes terrifying， reality。 She witnesses a murder。 She contemplates her mortality。 She fails as a mother。 And all the while， she stays， despite her complete awareness of it， firmly ensconced in a peculiar white-suburban-housewife insecurity that cast every event in the novel in a heavy vanilla glaze。 I couldn't wait to consume something else。 0。5 stars 。。。more

Heather Nielsen ，

There were passages throughout this book that really touched me and felt authentically true about the female experience。 But the plot itself felt sort of patch worked together in an irrelevant way。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Wayward

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Wayward&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Wayward&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0